Comments on: What is the magic spray used by soccer/football medics?

Question: What is the magic spray used by soccer/football medics?

jeversol — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:57:46 -0800

What exactly is the "magic spray" used by soccer/football medics?

I'm an American who is just really watching soccer for the first time. When a player gets injured, the medics have an aerosol spray they use on the injury that seems to help the pain. The ABC/ESPN2 commentators have referred to it as "the magic spray." I've spent over an hour on Google attempting to find out what the magic spray is and what it does, but, I just keep finding references to "magic spray" and "magic injury spray," but no details. So, here I am. Anyone able to enlighten a soccer-ignorant American? Thanks. :)

By: MetaMonkey

MetaMonkey — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:02:30 -0800

Before someone posts the full answer, it's worth noting that many years ago it was a 'magic sponge', before the spray became fashionable. I think the spray is largely cool water vapour or some such thing, with the result of slight numbing of pain.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:03:02 -0800

I think it cools the injured area. Sorta like a icy hot spray.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:04:14 -0800

Of course the term magic spray is a bit of a joke since seemingly greatly injured players seem to recover quickly once they receive the magic spray treatment.

By: kev23f

kev23f — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:41:47 -0800

its something like this, it just numbs the area a bit. It actually does work, but not to the extent that the magic recoveries you see in footie games would imply. I used the cream version of it today on a sprain and it worked a treat.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:45:53 -0800

It is a freeze type of spray similar to what is used on baseball players when they are hit by a pitch.

By: frogan

frogan — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 15:21:21 -0800

Either an aerosolized version of camphor or lidocaine, or a spray-on bandage.

By: gemmy

gemmy — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 15:23:20 -0800

It's a spray similar to what kev23f linked, working its magic by a combination of cooling down the affected area and killing some of the immediate pain. You'll also see them pouring water from their water bottles on the minor injuries, which works in a similar way.

Think of the last time you stubbed a toe - it hurts SO bad at first but the pain subsides pretty quickly. Pour some cold water on the toe and the pain goes away even faster. It's like that, pretty much.

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 15:57:32 -0800

And of course when much of the pain is feigned, that part of it goes away instantly and leaves no trace.

By: TrashyRambo

TrashyRambo — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:10:56 -0800

I came across some funky ibuprofen spray at the LA marathon this year. It could be that - worked a treat too.

By: edd

edd — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:42:40 -0800

I've no information on what it is, but if it's talked of as a freeze spray it's more likely to be the sister product to that linked by kev23f.

By: Zero Gravitas

Zero Gravitas — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:13:19 -0800

My guess is that it's a cooling spray that simply evaporates very fast (cools the skin down like sweating, only in fast-forward).

On preview: That thing edd linked to

By: any major dude

any major dude — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:14:28 -0800

Anyone noticed that they stopped using that spray during baseball games years ago? Anyone know why?

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 18:36:57 -0800

Topical anesthetics are a possibility; so is ethyl chloride spray, which works by actually cooling down the affected area. You can google "spray and stretch" to learn more about how ethyl chloride is used to help relieve painful "trigger point" pain.

By: m@

m@ — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:17:07 -0800

Benzocaine would be my bet.

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:53:16 -0800

Hmm...it appears no one really knows, authoritatively.

By: shelleycat

shelleycat — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 20:55:08 -0800

I asked my soccer mad boyfriend (he plays and coaches and watches and reads about soccer) and he's not sure either. He thinks it's cooling spray as linked above. I know some sports ban local anaesthetic (if it hurts that much you shouldn't keep playing) and he says soccer tried to ban it at one stage, but isn't sure if it stuck. I really thought he'd know, so it's obviously not widespread knowledge in the soccer community.

By: gemmy

gemmy — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:13:53 -0800

I would bet it's something very, very similar to this PremierSoccer.com medical spray.

By: MetaMonkey

MetaMonkey — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:24:01 -0800

Slight piggyback - anyone know how effective the spray is in typical usage on a football pitch? I can't imagine it can do much more than provide instant and very temporary relief, unlike, say a cream, which I would guess last longer.

By: kev23f

kev23f — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 03:55:36 -0800

MetaMonkey - the cream is similar to the spray in that it has an immediate effect, but you're right in saying that the creams effect lasts longer.

Word to the wise - make sure you wash your hands after using the cream. Or at least dont take a leak straight after applying the cream: the tingling sensastion in your nether regions is not the slightest bit pleasant...

By: togdon

togdon — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:28:32 -0800

A group of us were wondering about this too, glad someone already asked it. Slate covered our question: Does the World Cup Have a Lingua Franca? or, as we put it, "How do you say 'That fecking cocksocker takes one more dive and I'm tackling him spikes out.' in every language spoken by World Cup players?"

By: oddman

oddman — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 09:16:35 -0800

From Slate's Explainer.